I may be blogging with obsessive frequency over the next few weeks as lots of new and exciting things happen, but we will all run out of steam when me living here, and you living there becomes humdrum. Until then, let's ride this wave of excitement together!
Lots of new things have happened in A3 0401, Apartment of Serenity: I now have gas, light fittings, a washing machine and dryer installed and the internet! I also bought an orchid to talk to, so that the front door didn't feel too under pressure to make conversation. The front door only knows two words: 'hello?' and 'locked/bye : (' so sometimes gets a bit overwhelmed. It's nice that I have the orchid to chat to as well.
On Friday night I organised a very successful soiree attended by the BIS teachers who had already arrived at their new Imperia homes. I met lots of fun people and Made Friends, ending up in a funky cool bar where I played pool, partnered with a Vietnamese barman who was very good and won every game for us! Well done that man. Since then, my jetlag and fear of large groups of people - new, young, hip, attractive teachers have arrived en force today - have prevented me from achieving my social potential. However, I intend on remedying this with witty repartee and the suggestion of more socialising tomorrow on the bus to my medical check. In Vietnam you have to have a medical check to be granted a working visa. If you are infected, they send you home. If you are fat, sweaty and male, they offer you a young, beautiful Vietnamese girl to be your wife. True say: I've seen it. Hopefully they won't reject my visa application on grounds of being a little tubby library dweller, or a neurotically challenged weirdo. There is a section for mental health, though I'm not entirely sure whether they'll be able to properly test this in the given time. If I can just maintain a sense of normality for 30 minutes or so, and avoid making what my mother refers to as Care in the Community Conversation, then I should be good to stay here for another two years.
The tourist in me has also sprung forth with a vengeance: unable to sleep on Friday morning, I went into the town centre very early and putzed about in awe of Graham Greene sights such as the Continental Hotel. If you haven't read 'The Quiet American', you should: it's good. I also found a small super market that had everything I could have ever asked for, and I bought vegetables, and prawns, and salt and mushed lemongrass and soap. It was a good day. They also sell duck and quail eggs as standard here, which is very exciting. Pictured is the Opera House and the Continental; some scooters at a crossing risking death; the Notre Dame church - the Mary statue apparently wept once; a big shiny building I know nothing about; and a map inside the Central Post Office, designed by Gustave Eiffel, of Eiffel Tower fame.
I then spent Sunday at the zoo and took a lot of pictures of animals. I won't bore you with them now, but I'm trying to set up a photobucket account that will allow me to post all my photos for you to peruse at your leisure. There are lots of butterflies and elephants. Turns out I'm a nature enthusiast. I then went for ice cream with another family at a place called 'Fanny's'. Lolz! I didn't take a photo, and I am so sad I didn't. I was with a five year old and an 11 month old; I wasn't sure if it was appropriate.
Xin chào, by the way, and cám ơn are the two phrases I have spent this week perfecting: 'Hello!' and 'thank you!' Next I will learn taxi directions. And then I will learn to say, 'I'm sorry I'm completely useless at this language'. That is, after the lift man has taught me every number in my building.
Comments please! (It makes me feel loved and stuff).
I will just kind of gloss over the fact that you CLEARLY got the phrase "witty repartee" from my recent email and say HUZZAH that your FB status only referred to a check up. Don't scare me like that, Miss Sheppard.
ReplyDeleteBennett is next to me and being REALLY OBNOXIOUS about me telling you the following things:
1. "Tell her that she should go to the Vietnamese Great Wall if she is a nature enthusiast, and that she should blog about it. TELL HER."
2. "Tell her we still want to try and hook her up with my friend Charlie. DID YOU TELL HER YET."
...and now he's singing. Thank goodness you're in Vietnam.
ANYWAY this comment is becoming less comment-y and more email-y so maybe I should just save the rest for my email to you which will arrive in the near future.
I LOVE YOU.
You are officially my new favorite blogger!
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